This is a family friendly blog for those who love dolls and toys. The blog is a forum for all apsects of doll history, doll collecting, and doll making. It is the first step in creating a nonprofit doll center to educate the public about the historical role that dolls, the oldest human cultural artifact, play in the the lives of people all over the world. All excerpts are the author's intellectual property and may not be reproduced in any means withoutreceiving permission from the author.

My husband led me to a fantastic Victorian doll house yesterday. After we chatted with a great couple who built it, we came home with VanV...

Sand Baby Castaways

Courtesy, Glenda Rolle the Artist

PM Dolls

Leo Moss

German Dolls

Formerly, Aunt Len's.

Beecher Doll

Graces cover of Lenon Hoyte Auction, Aunt Len's

Foreign Dolls

Pryor Collection

Pryor Doll Collection

In Dec. 1959 Natl. Geographic

Great Book

Edward VI's Doll, 1540

Formerly, Helen Moe Doll Museum

Rare "frozen metal doll" Mannikin Pis

Courtesy, eBay Eilleen, Finder 27

Vintage Japanese Doll Joins our Museum Family

Courtesy, Southern Soldier Antiques

Rare Frozen Charlotte Type

A Pageant of Dolls

By Lesley Gordon, 1948

Hong Kong Lili

Barbie Stamp

An early Vintage Barbie

Bild Lili

Zinc Bodied Rohmer

Caused a suit between Mme. Rohmer and Mlle. Huret

Metal Dydee Baby

17th century Lead Dolls

England

Doll Shaped Mold

cf Dolls and Puppets by von Boehn

Metal Head

Probably Minerva

Black Metal Head

Russian Nesting Doll Charm

18 inch Metal Head

Mlle Bleuette

14th C Munich Clay Doll

Used as Bapitsmal Gifts

Halopeau artists rendering

Toy maker

Restored dolls

L to R: All vinyl mid-60s, Ragggedy Ann, handmade, new arms and clothes, Barbie Type as Elizabeth Short, The Black Dahlia. Black Felt Dress, white silk flowers and ribbons. She is in one piece, but with a swivel waist that does snap in two!

About Me

Saturday, May 28, 2011

I sat and thought about all the dolls and toys I'd had over the years, and those I had seen in stores and taken for granted. I always thought I could pick it up one day, and I made mistakes in not buying. I should have brought home Twiggy and the two versions of Truly Scrumptious; I should have kept my Seance and Voice of the Mummy games; I should have kept my Lil Abner piano and my Uncle's old bears and Robots; I should have bought the Douglass Triplets from My Three Sons, as well as Myrtle; I should have looked for the first Barbie earlier, when no one wanted them; I should have bought the compo Alexander Scarlett; the 99.00 unmarked Bru; the Ivory Faced Inuit doll from Boston; the red haired miniature german bisque from Ralph's Antique Dolls; the German Bisque clown from The Old Curiosity Shoppe; the Alexandre French doll; the all porcelain sitting little girls and Baby Kirshna in San Jose, the Angels from Carmel, the list goes on and on.

I did however take a guess, and pick up many, many dolls that I had a hunch would one day be hot collectibles. Harry Rinker advocated buying five to ten new toy/dolls each year to put in a toy closet for posterity. He usually waited till they went on sale. I wait till the "hot" toys end up at yard sales, a year or so down the road. All speculation in the secondary market ceases then, and if I still like the dolls, I get them to add to my long-term museum collection for a song. I like to look for dolls that get controversial publicity, or toys that are parodied in MAD or elsewhere. I look for new dolls commemorating political elections or famous people. These, of course, I keep. I still love Beanies, and years later, found one of the rare dinosaurs. I gound Elmos and Furbies when no one could, and my mom, who had real doll Karma, could walk in a store in the middle of a toy craze, and pick up the said toy for a song, no lines, no violence, no sweat.

I also like to keep the Toys R Us Christmas flyer each year as a historical record, and YouTube is great about archiving vintage toy cartoons. Always collect what you like, but it is interesting to watch an item move from toy shelf; to yard sale, to collectible price guide, to museum, and back.

For Those interested; my panel proposal, deadline now July 11, 2011. Please email proposals for papers to me at etsag1998@aol.com;

Ellen Tsagaris/M/MLA Revised Proposal

A Literary Shelter for Misfit Dolls; Exploring Doll Play

Dolls have existed since the Stone Age and appear often in literature, but the significance of doll play has not been addressed. “Literary Dolls” are often bedraggled objects that resemble inhabitants of Rudolph’s Island of Misfit Toys. Yet, children love them because, like them, their dolls are imperfect. Laura’s doll in Little House in the Big Woods, a handkerchief wrapped corncob, is both an object of pity and a beloved toy. Dicken’s Jenny Wren repairs dolls to find the perfect form her own crippled body denies her. Papers could address how dolls provide companionship, why children prefer simple dolls or “misfit” dolls, how imaginative children create dolls out of anything, how dolls become ritual objects, etc..

Thursday, May 19, 2011

This is a great place to buy plants, like Holly Hocks, which can be used to make dolls.

Butterfly Attracting Plants Sale
Greetings!
It's easy to attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your gardens if you grow plants that are rich in pollen and nectar. Here are some plants to create a pollinator-friendly garden. Hurry! Sale ends May 25, 2011.

Note: To receive these special prices you must put the first item into your shopping basket, then enter "EMAIL" as the promotional code and click on the submit button.

Hummingbird Collection

Attract hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden with our Hummingbird Collection. Includes 1 plant of Agastache 'Tutti Frutti' whose tall, lavender-pink blooms are a magnet for butterflies and hummingbirds. Also includes 3 plants of Helichrysum 'Limelight' that cascades elegantly over the pot's edge. 4 plants each in a 2.5" pot.

X9083-4 Reg. $21.95

$18.95 Each
Order Now
Aloysia virgata "Sweet Almond Verbena"

Long white spires of intensely fragrant blooms will delight your senses. This upright plant can be grown outside in a container as a butterfly attractor. Give full sun and it will flower year-round. 4" pot.

H8096-4 Reg. $17.95

$14.95 Each
Order Now
Solanum wrightii "Giant Potato Tree"

This exceptional flowering shrub blooms for months at a time covering itself with 2 1/2" blooms. The flowers open as violet-purple and fade to almost white. During the summer months, it attracts honeybees and butterflies. 4" pot.

R2272-4 Reg. $16.95

$14.95 Each
Order Now

Gaura belleza 'Dark Pink'

Flowering from early summer until fall, this hardy perennial has an upright, airy growth habit showing off tall spikes of dark pink flowers with long stamens. 'Dark Pink' is a heavy bloomer and this low maintenance perennial is a honeybee-and-butterfly attractant. 4" pot.

The perfect Allamanda for a large plant stand, it flowers profusely from spring to late fall and has a bushy, contained growth habit. The pleasing fragrance and bright yellow blooms will delight you. 4" pot.

R1093-4 Reg. $14.95

$12.95 Each
Order Now
Hibiscus 'Electric Blue'

'Electric Blue' is a vigorous grower whose flowers are a magical color of dusky, bluish-purple with red centers. This hibiscus is a strong upright grower and a prolific bloomer. 4" pot.

R1619-4 Reg. $16.95

$12.95 Each
Order Now
Allamanda cathartica 'Cherries Jubilee'

Sweetly fragrant, cherry-colored flowers bloom prolifically on this tropical evergreen vine. The 3" blossoms are magnets for hummingbirds and butterflies. This quick-growing vine reaches 5-10' tall so grow on a trellis or arbor. 4" pot.

R1982-4 Reg. $14.95

$12.95 Each
Order Now

Brunfelsia nitida

Performing exceptionally well as a potted plant, this unique species from Cuba creates a dazzling floral display. The long tubular blooms arise en masse from its arching stems. The flowers emit a spicy fragrance. 2.5" pot.

R1959-2 Reg. $12.95

$9.95 Each
Order Now
Abutilon 'Orange Cascade'

Ideal for a hanging basket, Abutilon 'Orange Cascade' has vibrant orange flowers that resemble hanging bells. Like most "Flowering Maples", it needs full sun for maximum blooming. If grown in a pot or mixed container, it tends to have a more upright growth habit. 2.5" pot.

R1988-2 Reg. $8.95

$6.95 Each
Order Now
Sedum 'Autumn Joy'

A favorite plant for honeybees and butterflies, 'Autumn Joy' is a hardy garden perennial with nectar-rich flowers. This trouble-free plant is easy-to-grow in just about any climate and it's practically indestructible in the garden. The large rose-colored flower heads tinge to bronze in early fall. Zones 3-10.

P8813-2 Reg. $6.95

$3.95 Each
Order Now

Citharexylum spinosum "Fiddlewood"

The 3-4' tall "Fiddlewood" plant produces long chains of white flowers when grown in a sunny location. The sweet, candy-scented blooms open from spring to fall. A hard pruning is all it takes to bring it back into flower. 2.5" pot.

R1631-2 Reg. $12.95

$8.95 Each
Order Now
Clerodendrum ugandense "Butterfly Flower"

These delightful flowers look like little butterflies! "Butterfly Flower" is an evergreen shrub with long inflorescences at the end of the branches. Each blossom cluster is 4-10" long and made up of individual flowers with 3 pale blue lobes and 1 dark violet lobe. 2.5" pot.

R1177-2 Reg. $8.95

$6.95 Each
Order Now
Echinacea 'Crazy Pink' p.p.a.f. "Coneflower"

This Coneflower was an exceptional performer in our trial gardens last summer. It is an early and prolific bloomer of bright pink flowers with a central orange cone. This Echinacea only grows 15-24" tall so it can be planted in front of taller varieties. Hardy in zones 4-8.

P8805-4 Reg. $14.95

$9.95 Each
Order Now

In order to receive these same great prices in our walk-in store, please bring the below coupon with you.

Sale ends May 25, 2011

Come experience the flavor of what goes on behind the scenes at Logee's: Topics include planting tips, sensational plants in bloom, famous visitors like Martha Stewart's gardener, and much more. Logee's Blog

Monday, May 2, 2011

To Mary, who's birthday would have been April 30th, and who always wrote to me she was "almost a May Queen!" She is among the best authors on the subject of dolls and toys who ever lived, and her Dolls and Dollmakers inspired me to new heights. She was also kind and generous with her research, and encouraging of all who sought knowledge. May she rest in peace, and may her memory be eternal.

I have a few notes to post on newsletters, and hope that on this historic day, one after May Day, that the world will be a safer, more caring place:

*Exclusions Apply: This offer not valid on Damon Salvatore. Offer applies to
in-stock
items only, and may not be combined with any other offer. Free shipping ONLY
within
the continental United States. Expires Friday, 5.6.2011 at 11:59pm EDT.
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